Error correcting codes allow data errors to be detected and corrected, provided the number of errors or the characteristics of the errors fall within the correction capabilities of the code that is used. Integrated-interleaved codes, for example, are systematic codes (i.e., the input data is included or otherwise embedded in the encoded data) that generate multiple codewords, each of which is associated with a particular level. The integrated-interleaved coding scheme can be used to compensate for format inefficiencies due to small block lengths and be deployed in distributed storage systems.